Thursday 16th November 2006

BMW M5 gets a manual gearbox

But only for the US market

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BMW M5: manuals for US only

BMW is to build a manual gearbox into the M5 -- but only for the US market.

In a move that could be viewed as perverse, the country where the auto reigns supreme and where very few drivers know how to use a manual gearbox, will receive the only M5s with a stick shift.

In the rest of the world including the UK, the only option has been the seven-speed sequential manual box, which uses an automated clutch. US drivers of the M5 will now get a six-speed box and shortened rations, although the 0-60mph time remains unchanged at 4.7 seconds.

BMW said that the situation could change if demand warranted it.

[tiga84]

Bring it over here please!!

How can BMW possibly warrant a manual for the states over europe in any case?

Having driven the M6 incarnation earlier this year I think I could safely say that the manual would be feckin awesome, I thought the upshifts even in "full attack" mode just weren't as fast as I thought they were going to be.